Solitaire Stories by Andy Hoover

An introverted farmer hears an explosion out in his father's old apple orchard. He investigates and ends up rescuing a beautiful astronaut, at significant cost to his health. The astronaut does not forget his kindness, and some time later the farmer is summoned by her to Houston, where he may had a minor-but-significant part to play in a top-secret mission.

A quiet and observant young reporter on the death-defying daredevil beat is dispatched to cover the retirement of one of the all-time greats of the trade. She's not alone in this journalistic pursuit, and must outwit a better-positioned rival in order to secure the relevant scoop for herself. And then there's the mercurial daredevil himself, who has one final, highly dangerous stunt up his filigreed and rhinestone-studded sleeve... will all his guests survive the big BBQ celebrating his retirement? Turns out it's a legitimate question!

This is the Solitaire Story I wrote on 6/5/26. In this one, a lady scheduled to testify against a dangerous mobster has been granted witness protection and been secreted away to an unusual mansion in the desert to hide out until her presence is needed in court. Unfortunately, the bad guys have discovered her whereabouts, and they are closing in fast. Will her hunky federal bodyguard and his small security detail be enough to protect her, or was this large and isolated house perhaps a fatally foolish pick for a quote-unquote "safe" house? Find out here! (The title is kind of a spoiler, I guess.)

This is the Solitaire Story I wrote on 5/27/26. In this one, an aspiring rodeo clown follows her dream, develops a bit of a crush, and then suffers a career-altering workplace injury. Not necessarily as downer a story as this synopsis would suggest, but not a purely feel-good affair either, despite a slightly above-average allotment of jokes (several of them dumb.) Probably best viewed as a sweet (but rough-edged and somewhat ambiguous) coming-of-age story. Enjoy!

This is a bit of an experimental one; I wanted to see how the Solitaire Stories system works when applied to a single "climactic" fight scene. In this one, a character known as the "Young Duke" squares off against his childhood friend, who is now a notorious (but perhaps heroically justified) "Outlaw". Who will emerge victorious from their rooftop clash? Be forewarned that this one has a somewhat (semi-comic) gore moment (of the sort one might expect in a closely-described life-or-death swordfight). It also has some grammatical confusion -- I kept switching between past and present tenses -- which, for a certain subset of listeners, might gross them out even more. On the whole, I'm not sure I'd call this "successful"... but I like the idea of applying the Solitaire Stories technique to more narrow purposes (scenes vs. stories,) and this was a fun (for me) attempt to do so. Enjoy!

This is the Solitaire Story I wrote on 5/21/26. In this one, a young man recently hired by a lumber transport company tries to get in good with his bosses, a father-son team from whom he learns a great deal in a short time. Unfortunately, his sense of loyalty and morality is strained by a bone-headed scheme, and he soon finds himself an accomplice to a stupid sort of crime. Will his beloved, departed grandmother's advice see him safely through this crisis with his honor intact? Or is it all too late already?

This is the Solitaire Story I wrote on 5/14/26. In this one, an ambitious corporate lady commits to an idea-generating solo retreat in the wild and mysterious Banjothorn Swamps. So as to get a good feel for the region, she (or her company) engage with Angler Bros. Swamp Tours, LLC. Due to circumstances (i.e., the cards,) she ends up with the "wrong" brother... but he ends up being the right brother (in a way.) Enjoy!

This is the Solitaire Story I wrote on 5/7/26. Per my notes, the synopsis is as follows: "A former collegiate tennis player who went on to professional glory but has since retired returns to his alma mater for the unveiling of his commemorative bronze bust. He hates the wretched thing, the way its eyes look, and the resulting emotions confuse and upset him, and drive him towards making some changes in his life." Mostly comedic, though it can be argued it has a bit of a downer ending (I think it's pretty ambiguous, though.) Enjoy!

A first-person account of a fictional baseball team's terrible fictional August and miraculous fictional September. I ended up doing this one (semi-intentionally) as a bit more of a monologue than usual. I have a bit of a cold on top of that, so this one might sound a bit "off." I think it's an interesting one, though... it's somewhat ramshackle in structure and has a lot of digressions but perhaps you're into that sort of thing, in which case I salute you. Enjoy!

This is the Solitaire Story I wrote on 5/1/26. In this one, a bookish earling (like a princeling, but for earls) feels pressured to excel on a hunting weekend at the beautiful but dangerous estate of his father's political frenemy, Baron Elgin. The young nobleman performs surprisingly well in multiple ways, but there may be plots brewing in the shadows, and a certain sorrow building on his heart.

This is the story I wrote on 4/28/26. From my notes, the synopsis is as follows: "Once upon a time (in like the 90's) two counselors fell in love at the (once) iconic and beloved sleep-away summer camp known as Camp Longfox. Now, decades later, their daughter arrives to see if she might be able to restore the mostly-abandoned camp to its former glory." This is sort of a love story, and includes an abrupt time jump... hopefully fans of one or both concepts will enjoy. So, enjoy!

This is the Solitaire Story that I wrote on 4/15/26. This one is a light fantasy tale, or at least as light as a story centering on the unexpected death of a mostly-beloved monarch is likely to get while still retaining some emotional truth (hopefully.) Come watch Crown Princess Emmalisa as she navigates a trying but not-entirely-sorrowful week, punctuated by unexpected banquets, sibling rivalry, and near-nightly explosions over Benevolence Harbor.

This is the Solitaire Story I wrote on 4/2/26. It's a love story featuring two hardworking entrepreneurs in the meatpacking/catering trade (for narrative convenience their professional roles are somewhat vaguely defined). Will a troubling rumor regarding one of their father's purportedly unsavory business practices scuttle this relationship before it even begins? (This one gets a little weird, but I would argue not that weird.) Content warning: rumors of cannibalism. Enjoy!

This is the Solitaire Story I wrote on 3/24/26. In this one, small-time, mostly-legit hustler with his fingers in a lot of local pies contemplates buying a boat. He gets a bit obsessed with the idea, in fact! Can his no-nonsense waitress girlfriend reel him in? How about the various carnies he employs? How about a retired Marine? How about the ocean itself?

This is the Solitaire Story I wrote on 3/16/26. This is the story of three sets of couples who all yearn to be close friends with other couples. It starts as an aspirational, "successful adult couples have couple friends" sort of thing, but becomes something a bit more important to all of them. The tone of this one is a bit too silly to be a proper satire, and a bit too serious to be a farce... I guess it kind of lands in "droll comedy of manners" territory, but I like to think it's slightly weirder-in-a-good-way than that description would imply. Find out if you agree!

This is the Solitaire Story I wrote back on February 20th. In this one, a lucky guy who doesn't know he's lucky teams up with a disreputable friend to win a bunch of money at an off-track betting place. Over the course of a rainy and chaotic morning, their plan unfolds (and unravels.) Can they work together well-enough to make some real money, or is the scheme doomed from the start? Find out in this episode! Some limited profanity in this one!

This is the Solitaire Story I wrote on 3/6/26. An anti-mob vigilante who fancies himself something of a Batman gets distracted from his mission of vengeance by a fun fling enabled via his cover career as a D.J. Can his concerned and disenchanted inner circle get him back on track? (Note: I had a bit of a technical/recording issue with this one, but hopefully the resulting necessary stitch isn't too distracting.)

This is the Solitaire Story I wrote on 3/3/26. In this story, the "real-life" subject of a hit love song by international pop superstar Catlyn "Cat" Arrow struggles with how best to help his island community -- and his own peace of mind -- following a tourism-devastating hurricane. Being "the guy that song's about" comes with perks and headaches aplenty, especially when the pop star's rumored to be coming back to town. I kept mispronouncing character names in this one... plus the beginning is a bit long-winded, and the ending is a bit abrupt. But otherwise I like it!

This is the Solitaire Story I wrote on 2/14/26. It concerns the first mate of the exploratory sailing ship the Prudent Duchess and what he learns about himself and his fellows on an voyage around a largely-uncharted peninsula. It's a story about unexpected career paths, and also the power of art, and also storms. Enjoy!

This is the Solitaire Story I wrote on February 1, 2026. It's about a romance cover model who feels uncertain about a recent career development. He has lunch with his agent and spies a mysterious woman and makes a late-night phone call. Kind of a meandering, character-heavy, portrait type of piece, but I like this one.